Guardian 24,606 (Rufus)

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A nice easy start to the week with some of the down clues proving just a tad more difficult

Across
9 BY NO MEANS: anagram of MANY BONES
10 IDAHO: anagram of AID + HO (Home Office)
11 TRIPOLI: TRIP (stumble) + anagram of OIL
12 MATELOT: MATE (superior to MATELOT) + LOT (fate)
13 AGENT: A GENT
14 CHECKMATE: CHECK (test) + MATE (match)
16 TITUS ANDRONICUS: anagram of RUN STUDIO CAST IN
19 DIAMETRIC: anagram of MATRICIDE
21 MINIM: palindrome
22 BRISTOL: double definition. ‘Bristol Fashion’ is a nautical term for ‘in good order’
23 CHAGRIN: CH (companion) + A GRIN
24 OCHRE: anagram of CHORE
25 SEA BREEZE: &Lit
Down
1 ABSTRACTED: double definition
2 INDIGENT: anagram of INN ID GET
3 IMPOST: IM + POST (a shore is a post that supports a wall): an impost is a tax, a duty
4 BALI: anagram of BAIL
5 ASYMMETRIC: double definition. A really good clue.
6 MISTAKEN: anagram of KIT MEANS
7 DAHLIA: anagram of HILDA around A
8 BOLT: a double definition. Also brought to mind Usain Bolt, the world record sprinter
14 CENTRALISE: &Lit
15 EASY MANNER: EASY (simple) + MANNER (way)
17 SHEATHED: HEAT (warmth) in SHED (outhouse)
18 CANARIES: CAN (is able) + ARIES (sign); nickname for Norwich Football Club
20 ALIGHT: double definition; a ‘light’ is a crossword solution to a clue
21 MEAGRE: M (thousand, many) + anagram of AGREE
22 BOOT: double definition
23 CLAM: L in CAM (river)

13 comments on “Guardian 24,606 (Rufus)”

  1. Thanks diagacht. Have to confess that rattling through so quickly I didn’t pay enough attention and put Import for 3dn.

  2. Happy Australia Day to you all,

    We’ve had a public holiday here, so, a much enjoyed long weekend.

    Thanks for the post Diagacht, you must have been up early!!

    Bristol fashion is a new one for me. Whilst I solved 23ac, I was unaware of ch = companion, thanks for the hint, I then used my trusty old google to get a full explanation.

  3. I also put IMPORT for 3d and thought it was a bit of a strange use of “shore”. IMPOST makes more sense. Silly me.

    25a is a lovely CD. Also agree that 5d is a nice clue.

  5. Brisbanegirl – “shipshape and Bristol fashion” is a very English term, quite old fashioned and not frequently used these days, so you can be forgiven for not knowing it. Just to pre-empt any complaints of non-PC phrases: some have claimed that this phrase was originally used to describe a slave ready to be sold, but this is a mistake so it’s quite acceptable here.

    Eileen – I also liked 18d, though I dare say some will complain about the intrusion of football into the crossword. Ya boo sucks to them, I say. (By the way, just seen your late comment on Friday’s blog – many thanks for the kind words!)

  6. Brisbanegirl CH is Companion of Honour, part of our Honours system.

    Don’t like football, but one football clue barely redresses the balance for the vast majority in these islands. So there should be more.

  7. Thanks for the pointers,

    I surprised myself by solving 16ac without resporting to google, maybe my education wasn’t so devoid of the classics.

  8. Smutchin: I’ve now done your Puzzle 4, which I found really delightful: too many witty and ‘aha’ clues to list – right up my street. Are there any more puzzles where those came from?

  12. Me, too (import, that is).

    Curiously, I learned something from 2d: I have thought all these years INDIGENT meant a native, or native to.

    I now see these are indigene and indigenous, whose meaning I of course new; but I had no idea INDIGENT meant needy, poor.

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